INDIANAPOLIS – Gov. Eric J. Holcomb issued a proclamation declaring Sept. 13–17 as Small Business Week in Indiana, celebrating the more than 529,000 small businesses in Indiana and the more than 1.2 million Hoosiers they employ.
“This week, we recognize the small businesses driving our state’s economy forward,” said Holcomb. “The state is placing an increased focus on supporting Indiana’s entrepreneurial companies, and with their persistence and entrepreneurial spirit, small business owners are creating careers and opportunities vital to every community across all 92 counties.”
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) will recognize nine Hoosier small businesses that have worked with the Indiana Small Business Development Center (SBDC), a program of the IEDC, to start, grow or pivot their small businesses. These awards, presented in conjunction with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) National Small Business Week, honor the entrepreneurs’ and small businesses’ achievements and their contributions to help grow Indiana’s economy and strengthen communities across the state, according to a news release from IEDC.
Among the 2021 honorees are:
• Innovative Small Business of the Year: InsightTRAC (Syracuse)
Founded by Anna Haldewang in 2017, InsightTRAC provides on-site robotic pest removal and data tracking services to help almond growers better manage and optimize their yields. The product provides real-time orchard insights and provides growers with an autonomous winter sanitation solution for what is currently a manual process.
The Indiana SBDC provides no-cost expert guidance and a comprehensive network of resources to each entrepreneur looking to start or grow a business. These resources include capital access, business planning, export assistance and market research.
The state received an “A+” grade for ease of starting a business (Thumbtack 2019) and ranks No. 1 in the Midwest and No. 6 in the nation for entrepreneur friendliness (SBE Council 2019).
